FINE MOTOR MATH

I wanted a break from arctic crafts and really didn’t feel like I was paying as much attention to number recognition as I have been to letter recognition. So, as I was guest hosting for #letsplayandlearntoday I stumbled upon a similar printable on the grid of @learning.with.the.smalls. I absolutely loved it and a little internet stalking later (I can be resourceful 😉), I discovered the IG page of @fluffy_tots who has some wonderful free printables (not an ad, but I did invest time, ink, and laminating sheets on several things that may interest you as well).

B also plays with her mini clothes pins almost daily, so I opted to go for those instead of the larger ones, although either will work to infuse some fine motor fun into your math lesson/activity. The rest is easy: Count the number of items pictured (one-to-one correspondence) and then clip the clothes pin to that number (number identification/recognition).

Don’t have any clothes pins? #adaptmyplay using pom poms, chick peas, blocks, rolled up balls of play dough. Literally anything solid will work.

I was amazed at her number knowledge that I haven’t been focusing on as much. It served as a gentle reminder that our children are learning ALL the time, and not just what and when we’re teaching them. Plus, she loved this activity and has requested it 3 times since. We did this on the couch, cuddled up in our pajamas the other morning. “Yep, totally worth the prep time,” says the woman who is traditionally all about no or low prep activities. I suspect this will serve us well for months to come. 💕

If you decide to try it, please tag me. I’d love to see what amazing things you come up with. 💕